Acting KMPDU secretary-general, Dr Chibanzi Mwachonda has tested positive for COVID-19.
The KMPDU Sec-Gen posted on his social media accounts that he contracted the virus while dispensing his official duties.
“On behalf of the National Executive Council, I would like to inform all KMPDU members and the general public that I have tested positive for Covid-19…I’m currently in stable condition and under self-isolation. My family is safe, contact tracing and testing of all close contacts is ongoing,” he said.
Dr Mwachonda said he is experiencing a cough and stomach upsets but that he is well. He is among over 600 medics who have tested positive for Covid-19.
Confirmed COVID-19.
Stay safe and adhere to the @MOH_Kenya Preventive Measures on #COVID19KE pic.twitter.com/XGNq0OuOvF— Chibanzi Mwachonda 🇰🇪 (@CMwachonda) July 31, 2020
Last month, Kenya buried first doctor, Dr Doreen Lugaliki, who succumbed to COVID-19.
Since the pandemic hit Kenya in March, KMPDU has issued go slows and strikes threats on grounds that the State was not doing enough to provide protective gear to frontline health care worker.
Last week, Director General of Health Dr. Patrick Amoth announced that 19 health care workers and 22 support staff had tested positive at the Pumwani Maternity Hospital in Nairobi.
“We have a remaining batch of 100 staff members to be tested. Out of the 290 who were tested, 41 turned positive,” he said. “All these 41 have been on home-based isolation. They qualified for home-based care because a majority of our people are asymptomatic. Ninety percent of the infections we get in our set-up are asymptomatic. That gives us a very good platform to implement home-based care and interventions.”
Dr Chibanzi Mwachonda, who has been Oluga’s deputy took over in an acting role as the Secretary General of KMPDU. Dr Ouma Oluga was seconded as Chief of Health in Nairobi Metropolitan Services.
Dr Ouma Oluga who, before NMS, had been KMPDU secretary general for five years played a key role in the 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) which was registered at the Labour Court.
Dr Ouma Oluga’s selfless efforts were also recognised in 2019, when the then KMPDU Sec-Gen was elected as the Global President of all Health Workers.
